i am not English but I think England needs heart like Terry, Carragher and Rooney, Also i really want to say that David James is still the best Keeper England have, Scott Carson is a choir boy compared to him, and he at age 37 is still very impressive. Finally i think Agbonlahore has to be brought in the England 11, he is a great competitor and scores all the time because he is always in the right place. This is off topic of Crouch, but by the time the World cup comes through 2010, many of these players will most likely be replaced.

To figure out what England is missing all you have to do Is see what most English teams have brought in from outside england, Super strikers like Drogba and Torres, and we can go on by position.

As far as Crouch goes, you’re absolutely right: he’s an excellent player, and far better than is immediately apparent from his appearance. I still consider him a poor choice for England given how little he plays for his club, but if he leave Liverpool (which he really should – any of the top clubs outside the Premiership’s big four would snap him up in a heartbeat) he could easily be one of the league’s top scorers within a season. All he needs is some faith and a regular starting berth. I can’t understand Benitez’s unwillingness to start with Crouch – for my money, he’s a better player than Kuyt and Voronin, both of whom start far more often, in all competitions, than Crouch. Torres is better than Crouch, but then he’s one of the best young strikers in the world, so that’s not too terrible. A regular Torres-Crouch front pairing would be fascinating to watch, but Benitez will never use it.

Benitez doesnt have the so called luxury of a rotation system in defense. He has Carragher back there nonstop and i dont blame him and i still think idealy him and Terry as center backs would be an interesting combo if it hasnt been done. Maybe we can have a debate on this, Any how great post and alot of cool info.